How To Bid At Auction

From finding unique items to landing a great deal, more people are seeing the advantages of buying property at public auctions. Learn how Whipple makes it simple to join the bidding.

How to Bid

live Auctions

Find an upcoming auction

Visit our website often to learn about new properties for sale. Don't forget to signup for upcoming auctions!

Do your homework

Drive by the property, look at the public records and call our office with any questions you may have.

Arrive early

On the day of the auction, arrive early enough to register and inspect the property and/or items up for sale.

Seek advice

If you’re not familiar with real estate, bring someone who is. If you have questions or need assistance, the Whipple auction staff will be more than happy to help you. That's what we do!

Know the terms

What are you willing to bid? You should have a number in mind, so you don't go over your budget in the heat of the moment. Don't forget to include your total costs, like the buyer’s premium and closing costs. Read the Bidder's Information on display at the auction and the Terms Of Sale on the reverse of your bid number card.

Final step

If you are the winning bid, approach the auctioneer or team member. They will help you complete the necessary paperwork required. If you purchased personal property, the cashier will assist you in payment.

How to Bid

Online Auctions

If online bidding is available, the specific auction on our website will include a link to the online registration page. Please read the online bidding instructions and terms of sale carefully for each sale.

Register an Account or Login

If you would like to participate in our online auctions, you must become a registered bidder and create a bidder profile. You agree to provide true, accurate, current, and complete information about yourself and/or your organization, as applicable, as requested during the registration process. Once your account is created you can login and bid.

Bidding

Placing a bid constitutes a binding offer between you the Bidder and the Owner/Seller that cannot be rescinded or retracted. If the bid is accepted, you are contractually obligated to buy the merchandise at the price stated as your bid, as well as pay all other applicable taxes and fees including any shipping costs.

Participation

Before bidding, it is important that you familiarize yourself with the auction pick-up date(s) and time(s) and that they work within your schedule. Ensure that you are aware of the pick-up location before bidding and if shipping is an option.

You can bid prior to the auction end time or bid while the auction is in the progress of closing.

Placing a Bid

You can place bids in two ways: (1) manually by entering a standard bid using the My Bid function, then clicking the "Place Bid" button for each lot you would like to place a bid and/or (2) by using the Max Bid function. The max bid function is a feature that bids on a lot automatically for you (even when you are not online or logged in) up to the dollar amount entered.

Bid Increments

When placing a bid, bidding must increase by the following specified increments:

Current Bid Increment
$1– $50 $1
>$50 – $1000 $5
>$1000 – $10,000 $25
>$10,000 – $100,000 $50
>$100,000+ $100

Bidding Records

Should a bid be placed within the last five minutes of a lot’s ending time, the ending time will automatically be extended to five minutes from the time that bid is placed. The timer will continue to extend in the same manner until the bidding activity has stopped. An item closes when the timer on the lot hits zero. The winning bidder of an item is the last Bidder the bid history recorded before the timer hits zero.

Bid Notifications

Outbid Alerts can be enabled or disabled in your Bidder Profile. Outbid notifications can be received via email, text message or both methods. The notifications are sent until the lot is closed.

Purchase Notifications are automated alerts to Winning Bidders via EMAIL ONLY after all lots for the auction have closed. This email can never be disabled or unsubscribed. It will detail the date, time, location, and Bidder notes for the auction pick-up of Your winning items. It also serves as a helpful gateway to pay for your purchase invoice online via credit card. If you feel you have won an item(s) and you have not yet received a Purchase Notification, please check your SPAM/JUNK email folder. Should you need your notification resent, please contact the Auction Manager. Please be aware that once the auction pick-up time has ended, we will no longer be able to send purchase notifications.

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Upcoming Auctions